Lessons From Why We Read Megillas Ruth On Shavuot

The רמ"א in סימן תצ' of Shulchan Aruch
Orach Chaim, quotes the words of the Avudraham. The Avudraham says that we have
the custom to read the story of Ruth on the holiday of Shavuos[1]. The
obvious question is- why? Why read the story of Ruth specifically on Shavuos?
What is the connection? There are several reasons offered to explain this
custom. But perhaps more important are the valuable lessons that we can uncover
by closely analyzing the various explanations of how Megillas Ruth relates to
the holiday of Shavuos.

The Midrash Yalkut Shimoni [number
596] says the following: “What does the book of Ruth have to do with Shavuos?
This [i.e. reading it on Shavuos] is to teach us that the Torah was only given
through suffering and poverty.” At first glance, the Midrash’s message seems
shockingly extreme. However, after reflection, maybe the message of the Yalkut
is as follows. By reading the book of Ruth, we attempt to correct a possible
misconception that we might have about the nature of being Hashem’s chosen
people. The background of the holiday of Shavuos is the holiday of Pesach. When
the Jews left Mitzrayim, Hashem performed numerous miracles on their behalf to
rescue them from slavery in Egypt. Hashem then took them into the Sinai desert
and performed more miracles to show his love and concern for the Jews.
For example, Hashem gave us the “Clouds of Glory” which protected the Jews from
all types of difficult weather conditions. According to some commentators the
“Clouds of Glory” even functioned as a transportation vehicle moving the Jews
from one location to another without them having to tire themselves by walking.
Hashem provided miraculous bread for the Jews to eat in the desert called the מן. Our sages tell us
that the מןtasted like any flavor the person who
was eating it desired. Finally, Hashem brought the Jews to Mount Sinai and gave
them the Torah accompanied by a demonstration of yet more incredible miracles. After
all these wondrous events leading up to Matan Torah, one could have logically
made an assumption. So long as we observe the Torah and the mitzvos --- our
lives will be comfortable all the time and all our physical needs will be taken
care of by Hashem just as they were in the desert. In order to dispel this
incorrect belief we read the story of Ruth on Shavuos. We are supposed to
understand by reading this story that just like Ruth had to endure much
suffering and years of poverty until she was finally accepted as a Jew by her peers,
so too all of us may endure tests from Hashem throughout life- even if
we are meticulously observing the commandments of the Torah. This is a basic
lesson about the life of a Jew, and we are taught it by the story of Ruth[2].

The story of Ruth
begins with the famine that ravaged Eretz Yisrael causing the leader of the
generation, Elimelech, and his pious sons Machlon and Chilyon to leave Eretz
Yisrael and move to the land of Moab. The Gemara in Maseches Babba Basra (91a)
records the following comment of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai “Elimelech, Machlon
and Chilyon were the greatest men, and the leaders, of their generation. This
being the case, why were they punished (that they all died)? Because they left Eretz Yisrael to go to chutz
la’aretz.” The gemara goes on to cite the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Korcha
who argues with Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Korcha says that
Elimelech and his family were justified in leaving Eretz Yisrael due to the
famine. The reason they were punished he explains is because “they should have
beseeched Hashem to have mercy on his people and they did not.” The question
that needs to be asked is, why in fact did they not pray to Hashem to end
the famine and have pity on His people?

From the words of
the Yad Ramah (יד רמה ), in his commentary on this gemara,
we can infer an answer to this question. The Yad Ramah says"שמעינן מינה דמאן דחזי למבעה
רחמי על בני דורו ולא בעי, מיענש"
. The Yad Ramah states that
only a person who is worthy to ask Hashem for compassion (such either
Elimelech, Machlon, or Chilyon) for his generation is punished for not doing
so. It would seem that this principle regarding
תפילה during a צרה is inconsistent with what we find in חז"ל . In מסכת תענית it states that when there is a צרה,
all of Klal Yisroel must daven for a ישועה.
Given that, how can the יד רמהsay that
only select people are “worthy to ask
Hashem for"רחמנות (and are therefore punished for failure to do
so)?

Perhaps the יד רמה analyzed words of Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Korcha as follows.
As noted above, according to Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Korcha it needs to be
understood why indeed didn’t אלימלך, מחלון וכליון
daven for the famine to end? The יד רמה
means to answer this question by assuming that in fact אלימלך
מחלון וכליון did, like the rest of כלל ישראל, daven to Hashem to end the famine.
However, from the fact that they were nevertheless punished, the יד רמה deduces that certain people- צדיקים
- have an additional responsibility beyond that of a regular Jew.
Apparently צדיקים must daven either longer,
more frequently, or with a greater intensity than an average Jew
is required to. This enhanced form of תפילה
carries with it an opportunity cost since it takes away from the צדיק’s regular routine. Nevertheless, one who is “worthy” to engage
in such תפילה, is required to do so. Rabbi Yehoshua Ben
Korcha is implying that owing to their great humilityאלימלך
מחלון וכליון did not view themselves as being
“worthy” of this enhanced role of begging Hashem for mercy. The truth was,
that Elimelech, Machlon, and Chilyon were “worthy” and thus obligated to
engage in this form of prayer. Since theyfailed to fulfill this
obligation, they were punished severely. [The דוחק
in the aforementioned interpretation of the יד רמה
is that his לשון stresses the עונש as being the חידוש
of Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Korcha. According to the פשט
suggested above, the main חידוש is the fact
that people who are singularly “worthy” must
daven more than regular Jews. The יד רמה’s
לשון does not stress this point.]

Based on the aforementioned
understanding of the Yad Ramah, it comes out that Elimelech, Machlon and Chilyon
had a misplaced sense of humility. They viewed themselves as unworthy of
asking Hashem for compassion on the nation. However, too much humility can lead
to a person failing to perform his obligations to the klal. Perhaps this is
what occurred with Elimelech Machlon and Chilyon.

The story told in the above gemara is very relevant to Shavuos. We are
all familiar with the Midrash about how Hashem looked for a mountain on which
to give the Torah, and finally chose Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai was selected
because of the fact that it was the smallest and therefore the most “humble
mountain”. Hashem linked the giving of the Torah to a symbol of humility and
modesty- in order to show us that only one who is truly humble can acquire
Torah. However, when reflecting on this message during Shavuos, we are
somewhat at danger of taking the important trait of humility too far, as
Elimelech and his sons did. In order to help us put the value of modesty in its
proper proportion we read the story of Ruth and learn about the dire
consequences of too much modesty. We see this from the tragedy that
befell Elimelech, Machlon and Chilyon as explained above. Thus we emerge from Shavuos
with an accurate, balanced notion of the value of humility in Torah thought. [3]

A different reason for reading the book of Ruth on Shavuos is offered by
the Elya Rabba (ibid siman 490). He refers us to a Midrash (also a gemara in
Sotah 14a) which states “Torah begins with chesed and ends with chesed”. The
book of Ruth is a story about the importance of chesed. (Chazal tell us that
Boaz, who Ruth marries at the end of the megilla, was much older than Ruth.
Indeed he died shortly after their marriage. Nevertheless Ruth was willing to
remain single until circumstances allowed her to marry Boaz and have a child.
The Ramban explains in Parshas Vayeishev that the union between Ruth and Boaz
was a form of “Yibum.” When a wife’s husband dies without children it is a big
chesed for the soul of the deceased brother if his surviving brother or any
other relative marries his widow. Because Ruth’s husband Machlon had died
without children, Ruth desired to benefit his soul by marrying his cousin Boaz
in a yibum-like mitzvah. However in order to accomplish this Ruth had to endure
a long period of time as a widow. Also as noted above, Boaz was much older than
her. Therefore Ruth’s willingness to perform this mitzvah was a selfless act of
chesed. Indeed Boaz said to Ruth in perek 3 pasuk 10 “Blessed are you my
daughter, your act of chesed is great that you choose not to look for a younger
husband.”) Indeed the midrash (Rus Raba 2:13) goes so far as to say אמר ר' זעירא—מגילה זו אין בה לא
טומאה ולא טהרה ולא איסור ולא היתר. ולמה נכתבה? ללמדך שכר טוב לגומלי חסדים. “This megilla contains no halachos. So why
was it written? To teach us the great reward that will come to those who act
kindly”. By reading this story on Shavuos, the day of Matan Torah, we
highlight the idea that Torah “begins with chesed and ends with chesed”. This
is a nice idea but it requires some elucidation. What does it mean that the
Torah “begins and ends with chesed?” Two
explanations follow.

The Maharal (Chidushei Aggados Sotah 14a)
explains that despite the many stringencies and discussion of punishment that
we find in the Chumash we should not form an impression that the Torah was
designed by Hashem to hurt us (chas veshalom). Even when Hashem punishes the
Jews for their sins, Hashem’s intention is only to cleanse us of our sins so
that we can merit a portion in Olam Haba. This is a tremendous chesed.

The Iyun Yaakov (ibid) gives a different explanation about the
idea that “Torah begins and ends with chesed”. He says that the message for us
is that studying Torah is not alone sufficient for a person to draw
close to Hashem. Even a great talmid chacham must supplement his Torah
study with acts of chesed. By reading the story of Ruth on Shavuos we are
teaching ourselves these important values.

Another connection between Ruth and Shavuos is as follows. The Birkei
Yosef (siman 494 citing the Simla Chadashah) points out that both the
birthday and yahrtzait of Dovid Hamelech were on Shavuos. He explains that the
book of Ruth traces the lineage of Dovid Hamelech and shows that his great
grandmother entered the Jewish people with the approval of the great sage of
the generation- Boaz. Even though Ruth came from the nation of Moab from which
we are forbidden to marry converts, Boaz correctly interpreted this halachah as
prohibiting only male converts from Moab, not female converts like Ruth.

Superficially, it would seem that
according to this explanation for reading Ruth on Shavuos, we are reading the
story of Ruth because of an incidental reason not having to do with the
essence of what Shavuos is mainly about (i.e. Matan Torah). However, it has
been suggested that there is a connection between talking about Dovid
Hamelech and understanding Matan Torah. The gemara in Shabbat (88A) tells us that
when the Jews accepted the Torah at Mount Sinai and declared “na’aseh ve nishma
נעשה ונשמע “ Hashem rewarded every Jew with two crowns-
one for na’aseh and one for nishmah. This gemara stresses the idea that the
Torah is a form of malchut, royalty. By talking about the lineage of Dovid
Hamelech on Shavuos we highlight the association between the Torah and
royalty. As Torah observant Jews it is incumbent upon us to always keep in
mind that it is adherence to the precepts of the Torah that gives us our stature
as Hashem’s “Kingdom of princes” (Shemos 19:6).

The next reason offered regarding
why we read Ruth on Shavout[4]
also pertains to the fact that the megilla traces the lineage of Dovid
Hamelech. However, this new pshat focuses on a different aspect. As noted
earlier, the Torah forbids a Moabite convert
to Judaism from marrying an ordinary Jew- ‘ .לא יבא עמוני ומואבי
בקהל הInstead, such a convert must marry either a fellow convert or a
mamzeres. The Talmud Yerushalmi (Yevamos 8:3) tells us that in the times of
Ruth there was a dispute among the sages regarding the parameters of this
prohibition. Some sages held that this prohibition applies both to male and
female converts from Moav. According to this opinion, Ruth was forbidden
from marrying (i.e. doing Yibum with) any of her deceased husband’s relatives.
The midrash (Rus Raba 7:7) says that
Boaz’s uncle, Tov, subscribed to the strict opinion. Consequently, he declined
to be מיבם Rus. He told Boaz -"לא אוכל לגאל לי פן אשחית נחלתי
" “I cannot redeem [Ruth i.e. do Yibum] lest I destroy my legacy”.
Boaz belonged to a group of sages who, utilizing methods of biblical exegesis that are
delineated in the oral Torah (
תורה שבעל פה ),
determined that only male Moabite converts were prohibited, not female
converts like Rus. The gemara in Kesubos (7b) states that Boaz assembled
ten sages to publicly announce this halachik decision, and only afterwards did
he proceed to marry Ruth.

The Midrash Tanchuma in Parshat Noach (#3) relates that although the
Jews were willing to accept the written Torah (
תורה שבכתב
) and declared נעשה ונשמע -they declined to accept the oral Torah
( תורה שבעל פה ). The Tanchuma (as interpreted by the
Alshich) states that they were afraid that since תורה שבעל פה is so difficult to study and comprehend, they would frequently
violate its precepts inadvertently. The Tanchuma goes on to say that Hashem forced the Jews to accept the oral Torah by suspending
Mount Sinai above them and threatening them with death if they did not agree to
accept תורה שבעל פה : כפה עליהם הר כגיגית ואמר להם אם אתם מקבלים את
התורה מוטב ואם לאו שם תהא קבורתכם. As a result, the day of Shavuos not only
reminds us that the Jews accepted the Torah, but also (unfortunately) that they
had to be coerced into accepting תורה שבעל פה . In order to instill in us how crucial
the oral Torah is, and demonstrate that תורה שבעל פה is inseparable from תורה שבכתב , we read the story of Ruth on Shavuos. By hearing this
story we are made to understand how the union of Boaz and Ruth, which in turn
led to the birth of Dovid Hamelech, and which in the future will produce
Moshiach ben Dovid--- was only possible because of the clarifying light that
the oral Torah shines on תורה שבכתב.

A well known connection
between Ruth and Shavuos is made by the דרכי משה
in סימן תצ' . He states that we read Ruth on Shavuos
because אבותינו שקיבלו התורה נתגיירו וכן רות נתגיירה . The Darchei Moshe seems to be saying that by reading about
Ruth the convert, we remind ourselves that we too underwent conversion
on Shavuos at Mount Sinai. The question is, why is this an important thing to
highlight on Shavuos?

In פרשת
ואתחנן (ה':כז) the Torah recounts that after Matan Torah, ,משה רבינו proclaimed to Klal
Yisroel .
"שובו לכם לאהליכם" The gemara in Moed Katan (7b) explains that
"אהל" is a reference to a
person’s wife.משה רבינו was
thus telling the Jews that now that the "שלשת ימי
הגבלה" (during which the men had to separate from their wives) were
over, the men could return to their wives. The Meshech Chochmah observes that
it seems probable that prior to Matan Torah, many Jews had married relatives
whom, post-Matan Torah, were now forbidden under the halachos of .עריות
An
example of this was Moshe’s own father Amram, who was married to his aunt—Yocheved.
After Matan Torah, marrying one’s aunt was prohibited. All the Jews who had
earlier married relatives that were now forbidden should seemingly have
had to divorce their wives. This being the case asks the Meshech Chochmah, how
could Moshe make a categorical statement, addressed to all of Klal
Yisroel, permitting all the men to return to their wives?

The Meshech Chochmah answers that
perforce, the גירות that Klal Yisroel
underwent at Matan Torah rendered them new people halachicaly. All
previous familial ties were considered null and void. Thus after Matan Torah a
man who had earlier married his aunt was allowed to remain married to her.
Owing to the גירות of Matan Torah, they
were no longer considered as aunt and nephew. The Meshech Chochmah goes on to
say that this is the source for the Talmudic dictum גר
שנתגייר כקטן שנולד דמי “a convert is considered like a newborn
child”. This means that his prior relatives are no longer considered relatives
in the eyes of halacha.

With the
aforementioned concept in mind, we can now suggest a deeper understanding of
the דרכי משה ‘s pshat , i.e. that we read Ruth on
Shavuos because “she was a convert and we too converted at Matan Torah”.
The גירותof Matan Torah introduced us to
the idea of גר
שנתגייר כקטן שנולד דמי. Although this is a halachik concept, it
has a hashkafic connotation as well. It conveys the message that Matan
Torah, Shavuos, is a time of renewal and rebirth. If heretofore we were
lacking in certain areas of our Torah observance, each Shavuos we should focus
on the idea of גר שנתגייר כקטן שנולד דמי and be inspired to renew our commitment to the
Torah. This encouraging message is communicated to us by reading Ruth on
Shavuos and thereby recalling the גירות
of Matan Torah.

A similarly
comforting reason as to why we read Ruth on Shavuos is offered by the פני יהושע אור.
In order to understand his explanation, it is necessary to first consider what
ourעבודה is
during the forty-nine days between Pesach and Shavuos. In משנת רבי אהרון (vol. 3 pg. 13),
Rav Aharon Kotler זצ"ל states that these days areכנגד the מ"ח דברים
שהתורה נקנית בהם.
Inאבות פרקי (chapter 6), the
mishna delineates forty eight methods that need to be employed in order to
properly study and acquire the Torah. Rav Aharon says that on each day between
Pesach and Shavuos we are supposed to work on one of these forty eight קנינים. On Erev Shavuos, day forty nine, we are
supposed to combine all forty eight methods and achieve thereby a high
level in learning.

Alternatively, during this time period, the
Jews who left Egypt elevated themselves each day from the nadir of spiritual impurity
into which they had sunken in Egypt. Each day after leaving Egypt, they left
one of the forty nine gates of טומאה and replaced it with one of the forty nine
gates of קדושה. This culminated on
Shavuos, day number fifty, when the Jews entered the fiftieth gate of קדושה and then received the Torah. Nowadays, our
job during this time period is to try to reenact this process of spiritual
growth during the forty-nine days between Pesach and Shavuos.

With the above background in
mind we can now consider the following common scenario. A Jew reaches Shavuos
having failed to utilize the previous forty nine days to improve his spiritual
standing. Likewise, this Jew made no effort at all to work on the מ"ח דברים שהתורה נקנית בהם. A Jew who arrives at
Shavuos in such a state is likely to be extremely downtrodden and depressed. He
is probably thinking: “what use is Shavuos for me when I didn’t prepare?” In
order to encourage such a person, says the אור פני
יהושע, we read Ruth on Shavuos. Ruth began as a gentile and an
idolater. Yet despite those lowly roots, she rose to become a convert, accept
the תורה, and became a part of כלל ישראל.
This is meant to encourage those of us who arrive at Shavuos in a
lowly state, not to give up. Ruth overcame her circumstances and accepted the
Torah. Similarly, we too can reach new spiritual levels on Shavuos,
notwithstanding shortfalls in our preparation during the preceding forty nine
days.

From all of the above, we can distill eight
discrete lessons that we are taught by reading the book of Ruth on Shavuos:

1)
Strict adherence to Torah and mitzvot does not guarantee a carefree life
such as the Jews’ existence in the midbar.

2)
The virtue of humility must be weighed against a person’s communal
obligations.

3)
The punishments in the Torah, notwithstanding their severity, are intended
for our benefit. As such, they are acts of chesed.

4)
Torah study and erudition are insufficient to attain spiritual perfection.
Involvement in chesed is also necessary.

5)
The stature of the Jewish people as Hashem’s princes is a byproduct of the
fact that we received the Torah.

6)
The oral Torah is crucial and inseparable from the written Torah.

7)
Matan Torah was a time of renewal, rebirth.
Recalling that should serve as an impetus for us to renew our
commitement to Torah life, and not be held back by previous lackings.

8)
Even if one did not utilize the seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuos to
prepare for Kabbolas HaTorah, he should not despair. Observed correctly, the
day of Shavuos alone affords an opportunity to attain great spiritual heights.

[1] The custom of the Ger and Chabad Chasidim is not to read
Ruth. ( ספר נטעי גבריאל )

[2] Rabbi Dovid Feinstein shlita, in his work “Kol Dodi”
on Ruth, understands the point of this yalkut differently. He says that the
lesson which the yalkut wishes to bring out is that limud hatorah, becoming a
true talmid chochum, can only be achieved through poverty and suffering. I find
this difficult to understand. As a woman, Ruth was not involved in torah
studies. Her struggle was simply to become Jewish, not to become a
scholar. So how can we extrapolate from Ruth’s struggle what it takes to become
a talmidchochum?

[3] Indeed we find this type of
“balancing” rationale given by the Magen Avraham ( Orach Chaim 490:8) to
explain why we read Koheles on Sucos. Sucos is a time of simcha זמן שמחתינו -due to the abundance
of physical pleasures available at that time of the year (i.e. the season of gathering in the
harvest). In order to prevent us from getting too caught up in this gashmiyus we read koheles
which talks about how the pleasures of this world are in truth הבל
worthless.

Similarly, on Pesach we celebrate
our emancipation from Egyptian slavery-זמן חרותינו . However this might lead us to consider our current
subjugation to the nations of the world and contemplate rebelling (in
the example of Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Tunisia!)! In order to preempt such ideas, which
Pesach observance might conceivably inspire, we read the Song of Songsשיר השירים . This megilla contains the famous two oaths
(discussed in Maseches Kesubos 111(a) that Hashem adjured
the Jewish people when they went into exile: 1) not to rebel against the
gentiles and 2) not to band together as a
group and try to recapture Eretz Yisroel by force.

Rabbi Sungolowsky

The רמ"א in סימן תצ' of Shulchan Aruch
Orach Chaim, quotes the words of the Avudraham. The Avudraham says that we have
the custom to read the story of Ruth on the holiday of Shavuos[1]. The
obvious question is- why? Why read the story of Ruth specifically on Shavuos?
What is the connection? There are several reasons offered to explain this
custom. But perhaps more important are the valuable lessons that we can uncover
by closely analyzing the various explanations of how Megillas Ruth relates to
the holiday of Shavuos.

The Midrash Yalkut Shimoni [number
596] says the following: “What does the book of Ruth have to do with Shavuos?
This [i.e. reading it on Shavuos] is to teach us that the Torah was only given
through suffering and poverty.” At first glance, the Midrash’s message seems
shockingly extreme. However, after reflection, maybe the message of the Yalkut
is as follows. By reading the book of Ruth, we attempt to correct a possible
misconception that we might have about the nature of being Hashem’s chosen
people. The background of the holiday of Shavuos is the holiday of Pesach. When
the Jews left Mitzrayim, Hashem performed numerous miracles on their behalf to
rescue them from slavery in Egypt. Hashem then took them into the Sinai desert
and performed more miracles to show his love and concern for the Jews.
For example, Hashem gave us the “Clouds of Glory” which protected the Jews from
all types of difficult weather conditions. According to some commentators the
“Clouds of Glory” even functioned as a transportation vehicle moving the Jews
from one location to another without them having to tire themselves by walking.
Hashem provided miraculous bread for the Jews to eat in the desert called the מן. Our sages tell us
that the מןtasted like any flavor the person who
was eating it desired. Finally, Hashem brought the Jews to Mount Sinai and gave
them the Torah accompanied by a demonstration of yet more incredible miracles. After
all these wondrous events leading up to Matan Torah, one could have logically
made an assumption. So long as we observe the Torah and the mitzvos --- our
lives will be comfortable all the time and all our physical needs will be taken
care of by Hashem just as they were in the desert. In order to dispel this
incorrect belief we read the story of Ruth on Shavuos. We are supposed to
understand by reading this story that just like Ruth had to endure much
suffering and years of poverty until she was finally accepted as a Jew by her peers,
so too all of us may endure tests from Hashem throughout life- even if
we are meticulously observing the commandments of the Torah. This is a basic
lesson about the life of a Jew, and we are taught it by the story of Ruth[2].

The story of Ruth
begins with the famine that ravaged Eretz Yisrael causing the leader of the
generation, Elimelech, and his pious sons Machlon and Chilyon to leave Eretz
Yisrael and move to the land of Moab. The Gemara in Maseches Babba Basra (91a)
records the following comment of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai “Elimelech, Machlon
and Chilyon were the greatest men, and the leaders, of their generation. This
being the case, why were they punished (that they all died)? Because they left Eretz Yisrael to go to chutz
la’aretz.” The gemara goes on to cite the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Korcha
who argues with Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Korcha says that
Elimelech and his family were justified in leaving Eretz Yisrael due to the
famine. The reason they were punished he explains is because “they should have
beseeched Hashem to have mercy on his people and they did not.” The question
that needs to be asked is, why in fact did they not pray to Hashem to end
the famine and have pity on His people?

From the words of
the Yad Ramah (יד רמה ), in his commentary on this gemara,
we can infer an answer to this question. The Yad Ramah says"שמעינן מינה דמאן דחזי למבעה
רחמי על בני דורו ולא בעי, מיענש"
. The Yad Ramah states that
only a person who is worthy to ask Hashem for compassion (such either
Elimelech, Machlon, or Chilyon) for his generation is punished for not doing
so. It would seem that this principle regarding
תפילה during a צרה is inconsistent with what we find in חז"ל . In מסכת תענית it states that when there is a צרה,
all of Klal Yisroel must daven for a ישועה.
Given that, how can the יד רמהsay that
only select people are “worthy to ask
Hashem for"רחמנות (and are therefore punished for failure to do
so)?

Perhaps the יד רמה analyzed words of Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Korcha as follows.
As noted above, according to Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Korcha it needs to be
understood why indeed didn’t אלימלך, מחלון וכליון
daven for the famine to end? The יד רמה
means to answer this question by assuming that in fact אלימלך
מחלון וכליון did, like the rest of כלל ישראל, daven to Hashem to end the famine.
However, from the fact that they were nevertheless punished, the יד רמה deduces that certain people- צדיקים
- have an additional responsibility beyond that of a regular Jew.
Apparently צדיקים must daven either longer,
more frequently, or with a greater intensity than an average Jew
is required to. This enhanced form of תפילה
carries with it an opportunity cost since it takes away from the צדיק’s regular routine. Nevertheless, one who is “worthy” to engage
in such תפילה, is required to do so. Rabbi Yehoshua Ben
Korcha is implying that owing to their great humilityאלימלך
מחלון וכליון did not view themselves as being
“worthy” of this enhanced role of begging Hashem for mercy. The truth was,
that Elimelech, Machlon, and Chilyon were “worthy” and thus obligated to
engage in this form of prayer. Since theyfailed to fulfill this
obligation, they were punished severely. [The דוחק
in the aforementioned interpretation of the יד רמה
is that his לשון stresses the עונש as being the חידוש
of Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Korcha. According to the פשט
suggested above, the main חידוש is the fact
that people who are singularly “worthy” must
daven more than regular Jews. The יד רמה’s
לשון does not stress this point.]

Based on the aforementioned
understanding of the Yad Ramah, it comes out that Elimelech, Machlon and Chilyon
had a misplaced sense of humility. They viewed themselves as unworthy of
asking Hashem for compassion on the nation. However, too much humility can lead
to a person failing to perform his obligations to the klal. Perhaps this is
what occurred with Elimelech Machlon and Chilyon.

The story told in the above gemara is very relevant to Shavuos. We are
all familiar with the Midrash about how Hashem looked for a mountain on which
to give the Torah, and finally chose Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai was selected
because of the fact that it was the smallest and therefore the most “humble
mountain”. Hashem linked the giving of the Torah to a symbol of humility and
modesty- in order to show us that only one who is truly humble can acquire
Torah. However, when reflecting on this message during Shavuos, we are
somewhat at danger of taking the important trait of humility too far, as
Elimelech and his sons did. In order to help us put the value of modesty in its
proper proportion we read the story of Ruth and learn about the dire
consequences of too much modesty. We see this from the tragedy that
befell Elimelech, Machlon and Chilyon as explained above. Thus we emerge from Shavuos
with an accurate, balanced notion of the value of humility in Torah thought. [3]

A different reason for reading the book of Ruth on Shavuos is offered by
the Elya Rabba (ibid siman 490). He refers us to a Midrash (also a gemara in
Sotah 14a) which states “Torah begins with chesed and ends with chesed”. The
book of Ruth is a story about the importance of chesed. (Chazal tell us that
Boaz, who Ruth marries at the end of the megilla, was much older than Ruth.
Indeed he died shortly after their marriage. Nevertheless Ruth was willing to
remain single until circumstances allowed her to marry Boaz and have a child.
The Ramban explains in Parshas Vayeishev that the union between Ruth and Boaz
was a form of “Yibum.” When a wife’s husband dies without children it is a big
chesed for the soul of the deceased brother if his surviving brother or any
other relative marries his widow. Because Ruth’s husband Machlon had died
without children, Ruth desired to benefit his soul by marrying his cousin Boaz
in a yibum-like mitzvah. However in order to accomplish this Ruth had to endure
a long period of time as a widow. Also as noted above, Boaz was much older than
her. Therefore Ruth’s willingness to perform this mitzvah was a selfless act of
chesed. Indeed Boaz said to Ruth in perek 3 pasuk 10 “Blessed are you my
daughter, your act of chesed is great that you choose not to look for a younger
husband.”) Indeed the midrash (Rus Raba 2:13) goes so far as to say אמר ר' זעירא—מגילה זו אין בה לא
טומאה ולא טהרה ולא איסור ולא היתר. ולמה נכתבה? ללמדך שכר טוב לגומלי חסדים. “This megilla contains no halachos. So why
was it written? To teach us the great reward that will come to those who act
kindly”. By reading this story on Shavuos, the day of Matan Torah, we
highlight the idea that Torah “begins with chesed and ends with chesed”. This
is a nice idea but it requires some elucidation. What does it mean that the
Torah “begins and ends with chesed?” Two
explanations follow.

The Maharal (Chidushei Aggados Sotah 14a)
explains that despite the many stringencies and discussion of punishment that
we find in the Chumash we should not form an impression that the Torah was
designed by Hashem to hurt us (chas veshalom). Even when Hashem punishes the
Jews for their sins, Hashem’s intention is only to cleanse us of our sins so
that we can merit a portion in Olam Haba. This is a tremendous chesed.

The Iyun Yaakov (ibid) gives a different explanation about the
idea that “Torah begins and ends with chesed”. He says that the message for us
is that studying Torah is not alone sufficient for a person to draw
close to Hashem. Even a great talmid chacham must supplement his Torah
study with acts of chesed. By reading the story of Ruth on Shavuos we are
teaching ourselves these important values.

Another connection between Ruth and Shavuos is as follows. The Birkei
Yosef (siman 494 citing the Simla Chadashah) points out that both the
birthday and yahrtzait of Dovid Hamelech were on Shavuos. He explains that the
book of Ruth traces the lineage of Dovid Hamelech and shows that his great
grandmother entered the Jewish people with the approval of the great sage of
the generation- Boaz. Even though Ruth came from the nation of Moab from which
we are forbidden to marry converts, Boaz correctly interpreted this halachah as
prohibiting only male converts from Moab, not female converts like Ruth.

Superficially, it would seem that
according to this explanation for reading Ruth on Shavuos, we are reading the
story of Ruth because of an incidental reason not having to do with the
essence of what Shavuos is mainly about (i.e. Matan Torah). However, it has
been suggested that there is a connection between talking about Dovid
Hamelech and understanding Matan Torah. The gemara in Shabbat (88A) tells us that
when the Jews accepted the Torah at Mount Sinai and declared “na’aseh ve nishma
נעשה ונשמע “ Hashem rewarded every Jew with two crowns-
one for na’aseh and one for nishmah. This gemara stresses the idea that the
Torah is a form of malchut, royalty. By talking about the lineage of Dovid
Hamelech on Shavuos we highlight the association between the Torah and
royalty. As Torah observant Jews it is incumbent upon us to always keep in
mind that it is adherence to the precepts of the Torah that gives us our stature
as Hashem’s “Kingdom of princes” (Shemos 19:6).

The next reason offered regarding
why we read Ruth on Shavout[4]
also pertains to the fact that the megilla traces the lineage of Dovid
Hamelech. However, this new pshat focuses on a different aspect. As noted
earlier, the Torah forbids a Moabite convert
to Judaism from marrying an ordinary Jew- ‘ .לא יבא עמוני ומואבי
בקהל הInstead, such a convert must marry either a fellow convert or a
mamzeres. The Talmud Yerushalmi (Yevamos 8:3) tells us that in the times of
Ruth there was a dispute among the sages regarding the parameters of this
prohibition. Some sages held that this prohibition applies both to male and
female converts from Moav. According to this opinion, Ruth was forbidden
from marrying (i.e. doing Yibum with) any of her deceased husband’s relatives.
The midrash (Rus Raba 7:7) says that
Boaz’s uncle, Tov, subscribed to the strict opinion. Consequently, he declined
to be מיבם Rus. He told Boaz -"לא אוכל לגאל לי פן אשחית נחלתי
" “I cannot redeem [Ruth i.e. do Yibum] lest I destroy my legacy”.
Boaz belonged to a group of sages who, utilizing methods of biblical exegesis that are
delineated in the oral Torah (
תורה שבעל פה ),
determined that only male Moabite converts were prohibited, not female
converts like Rus. The gemara in Kesubos (7b) states that Boaz assembled
ten sages to publicly announce this halachik decision, and only afterwards did
he proceed to marry Ruth.

The Midrash Tanchuma in Parshat Noach (#3) relates that although the
Jews were willing to accept the written Torah (
תורה שבכתב
) and declared נעשה ונשמע -they declined to accept the oral Torah
( תורה שבעל פה ). The Tanchuma (as interpreted by the
Alshich) states that they were afraid that since תורה שבעל פה is so difficult to study and comprehend, they would frequently
violate its precepts inadvertently. The Tanchuma goes on to say that Hashem forced the Jews to accept the oral Torah by suspending
Mount Sinai above them and threatening them with death if they did not agree to
accept תורה שבעל פה : כפה עליהם הר כגיגית ואמר להם אם אתם מקבלים את
התורה מוטב ואם לאו שם תהא קבורתכם. As a result, the day of Shavuos not only
reminds us that the Jews accepted the Torah, but also (unfortunately) that they
had to be coerced into accepting תורה שבעל פה . In order to instill in us how crucial
the oral Torah is, and demonstrate that תורה שבעל פה is inseparable from תורה שבכתב , we read the story of Ruth on Shavuos. By hearing this
story we are made to understand how the union of Boaz and Ruth, which in turn
led to the birth of Dovid Hamelech, and which in the future will produce
Moshiach ben Dovid--- was only possible because of the clarifying light that
the oral Torah shines on תורה שבכתב.

A well known connection
between Ruth and Shavuos is made by the דרכי משה
in סימן תצ' . He states that we read Ruth on Shavuos
because אבותינו שקיבלו התורה נתגיירו וכן רות נתגיירה . The Darchei Moshe seems to be saying that by reading about
Ruth the convert, we remind ourselves that we too underwent conversion
on Shavuos at Mount Sinai. The question is, why is this an important thing to
highlight on Shavuos?

In פרשת
ואתחנן (ה':כז) the Torah recounts that after Matan Torah, ,משה רבינו proclaimed to Klal
Yisroel .
"שובו לכם לאהליכם" The gemara in Moed Katan (7b) explains that
"אהל" is a reference to a
person’s wife.משה רבינו was
thus telling the Jews that now that the "שלשת ימי
הגבלה" (during which the men had to separate from their wives) were
over, the men could return to their wives. The Meshech Chochmah observes that
it seems probable that prior to Matan Torah, many Jews had married relatives
whom, post-Matan Torah, were now forbidden under the halachos of .עריות
An
example of this was Moshe’s own father Amram, who was married to his aunt—Yocheved.
After Matan Torah, marrying one’s aunt was prohibited. All the Jews who had
earlier married relatives that were now forbidden should seemingly have
had to divorce their wives. This being the case asks the Meshech Chochmah, how
could Moshe make a categorical statement, addressed to all of Klal
Yisroel, permitting all the men to return to their wives?

The Meshech Chochmah answers that
perforce, the גירות that Klal Yisroel
underwent at Matan Torah rendered them new people halachicaly. All
previous familial ties were considered null and void. Thus after Matan Torah a
man who had earlier married his aunt was allowed to remain married to her.
Owing to the גירות of Matan Torah, they
were no longer considered as aunt and nephew. The Meshech Chochmah goes on to
say that this is the source for the Talmudic dictum גר
שנתגייר כקטן שנולד דמי “a convert is considered like a newborn
child”. This means that his prior relatives are no longer considered relatives
in the eyes of halacha.

With the
aforementioned concept in mind, we can now suggest a deeper understanding of
the דרכי משה ‘s pshat , i.e. that we read Ruth on
Shavuos because “she was a convert and we too converted at Matan Torah”.
The גירותof Matan Torah introduced us to
the idea of גר
שנתגייר כקטן שנולד דמי. Although this is a halachik concept, it
has a hashkafic connotation as well. It conveys the message that Matan
Torah, Shavuos, is a time of renewal and rebirth. If heretofore we were
lacking in certain areas of our Torah observance, each Shavuos we should focus
on the idea of גר שנתגייר כקטן שנולד דמי and be inspired to renew our commitment to the
Torah. This encouraging message is communicated to us by reading Ruth on
Shavuos and thereby recalling the גירות
of Matan Torah.

A similarly
comforting reason as to why we read Ruth on Shavuos is offered by the פני יהושע אור.
In order to understand his explanation, it is necessary to first consider what
ourעבודה is
during the forty-nine days between Pesach and Shavuos. In משנת רבי אהרון (vol. 3 pg. 13),
Rav Aharon Kotler זצ"ל states that these days areכנגד the מ"ח דברים
שהתורה נקנית בהם.
Inאבות פרקי (chapter 6), the
mishna delineates forty eight methods that need to be employed in order to
properly study and acquire the Torah. Rav Aharon says that on each day between
Pesach and Shavuos we are supposed to work on one of these forty eight קנינים. On Erev Shavuos, day forty nine, we are
supposed to combine all forty eight methods and achieve thereby a high
level in learning.

Alternatively, during this time period, the
Jews who left Egypt elevated themselves each day from the nadir of spiritual impurity
into which they had sunken in Egypt. Each day after leaving Egypt, they left
one of the forty nine gates of טומאה and replaced it with one of the forty nine
gates of קדושה. This culminated on
Shavuos, day number fifty, when the Jews entered the fiftieth gate of קדושה and then received the Torah. Nowadays, our
job during this time period is to try to reenact this process of spiritual
growth during the forty-nine days between Pesach and Shavuos.

With the above background in
mind we can now consider the following common scenario. A Jew reaches Shavuos
having failed to utilize the previous forty nine days to improve his spiritual
standing. Likewise, this Jew made no effort at all to work on the מ"ח דברים שהתורה נקנית בהם. A Jew who arrives at
Shavuos in such a state is likely to be extremely downtrodden and depressed. He
is probably thinking: “what use is Shavuos for me when I didn’t prepare?” In
order to encourage such a person, says the אור פני
יהושע, we read Ruth on Shavuos. Ruth began as a gentile and an
idolater. Yet despite those lowly roots, she rose to become a convert, accept
the תורה, and became a part of כלל ישראל.
This is meant to encourage those of us who arrive at Shavuos in a
lowly state, not to give up. Ruth overcame her circumstances and accepted the
Torah. Similarly, we too can reach new spiritual levels on Shavuos,
notwithstanding shortfalls in our preparation during the preceding forty nine
days.

From all of the above, we can distill eight
discrete lessons that we are taught by reading the book of Ruth on Shavuos:

1)
Strict adherence to Torah and mitzvot does not guarantee a carefree life
such as the Jews’ existence in the midbar.

2)
The virtue of humility must be weighed against a person’s communal
obligations.

3)
The punishments in the Torah, notwithstanding their severity, are intended
for our benefit. As such, they are acts of chesed.

4)
Torah study and erudition are insufficient to attain spiritual perfection.
Involvement in chesed is also necessary.

5)
The stature of the Jewish people as Hashem’s princes is a byproduct of the
fact that we received the Torah.

6)
The oral Torah is crucial and inseparable from the written Torah.

7)
Matan Torah was a time of renewal, rebirth.
Recalling that should serve as an impetus for us to renew our
commitement to Torah life, and not be held back by previous lackings.

8)
Even if one did not utilize the seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuos to
prepare for Kabbolas HaTorah, he should not despair. Observed correctly, the
day of Shavuos alone affords an opportunity to attain great spiritual heights.

[1] The custom of the Ger and Chabad Chasidim is not to read
Ruth. ( ספר נטעי גבריאל )

[2] Rabbi Dovid Feinstein shlita, in his work “Kol Dodi”
on Ruth, understands the point of this yalkut differently. He says that the
lesson which the yalkut wishes to bring out is that limud hatorah, becoming a
true talmid chochum, can only be achieved through poverty and suffering. I find
this difficult to understand. As a woman, Ruth was not involved in torah
studies. Her struggle was simply to become Jewish, not to become a
scholar. So how can we extrapolate from Ruth’s struggle what it takes to become
a talmidchochum?

[3] Indeed we find this type of
“balancing” rationale given by the Magen Avraham ( Orach Chaim 490:8) to
explain why we read Koheles on Sucos. Sucos is a time of simcha זמן שמחתינו -due to the abundance
of physical pleasures available at that time of the year (i.e. the season of gathering in the
harvest). In order to prevent us from getting too caught up in this gashmiyus we read koheles
which talks about how the pleasures of this world are in truth הבל
worthless.

Similarly, on Pesach we celebrate
our emancipation from Egyptian slavery-זמן חרותינו . However this might lead us to consider our current
subjugation to the nations of the world and contemplate rebelling (in
the example of Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Tunisia!)! In order to preempt such ideas, which
Pesach observance might conceivably inspire, we read the Song of Songsשיר השירים . This megilla contains the famous two oaths
(discussed in Maseches Kesubos 111(a) that Hashem adjured
the Jewish people when they went into exile: 1) not to rebel against the
gentiles and 2) not to band together as a
group and try to recapture Eretz Yisroel by force.